Jetta Highline stolen from VW Capital workshop, Delhi!

This is a discussion on Jetta Highline stolen from VW Capital workshop, Delhi! within Indian Car Dealerships, part of the Team-BHP Reviews category; Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Dealership Section. Thanks for updating the opening post with full documentation!...

There are two issues - as per the waiver we all sign when handing the car over, we are responsible for any loss or damages.

As per what I have read, this is not enforceable in the court of law. I believe that there was a case where a car was damaged in paid parking, and the Bombay High Court ruled in favor of the car owner- saying that a notice of "parking at owner's risk" did not absolve the paid parking lot owner of any responsibilities.

Come to think of it, we do sign all such documents before a surgery etc.

Now, enforcing this is a different issue all together. You will have to go to court, and you know what this means .

Such an attitude on the part of the Dealer as well as the Company is unacceptable. I am horrified! I'll think twice before leaving any of my cars at dealers' overnight. All TBHP members should boycott this particular dealer. Also, the Company should be more proactive in asking the dealer to offer a reasonable solution to the harassed customer. Nothing short of a brand new vehicle is reasonable in my opinion.

What exactly do they mean by "Cost of car" in the first 2 options? Do they expect the customer to shell out 17/21 lakhs for a fault of the service center?

They are offering my friend a "generous" discount of Rs.4.00 lacs in both options: Buy a brand new unsold 2015 car for Rs.21 lacs or a 2015 UP registered car used as a test drive car and done 8000 kms for Rs 17 lacs. Their apology letter is even more hilarious as it wishes my friend " many many years of motoring with Volkswagen" Scary thought.

Last edited by buddha : 12th September 2016 at 15:08.
Reason: Syntax correction

They are offering my friend a "generous" discount of Rs.4.00 lacs in both options: Buy a brand new unsold 2015 car for Rs.21 lacs or a 2015 UP registered car used as a test drive car and done 8000 kms for Rs 17 lacs. Their apology letter is even more hilarious as it wishes my friend " many many years of motoring with Volkswagen" Scary thought.

Wow, this is a new low then. First their employee steals the car, and now they are rubbing salt on the wounds with these joke of "offers"! So they mean to say that the value of stolen car was just 4 lakhs?

How can they even dare to propose such never before (literally!) offers? 20 lakhs is no small amount. Why should a customer pay so heavily for their folly? Does the service centre think that people roam around with 20 lakhs in their pockets everyday? No wonder VAG group has built this reputation of horrible A.S.S.

But I would suggest your friend to try and contact the MD/CEO in VW. While no one wants to give compensation easily even though its their own fault, however for VW if you can threaten a little bit with consumer forum/smear campaign.

If the dealership is pressurized by VW management, it can work wonders. I had a small issue with a Maruti dealer back in 2007 with my extended warranty. I had paid something like Rs 3700(cant remember exactly) and was issued a proper receipt. However they were slow in processing things at their end. By the time they keyed in the details into their system, the price of the extended warranty had gone up by Rs 600-700. These guys had the cheek to call and ask me to pay up the difference in amount. After few days of back -forth argument, I wrote directly to Maruti guys and within a week, I had by extended warranty in my hand (personally delivered by the dealer's GM) alongwith an apology for a "system glitch". So if they fight tooth and nail for Rs500, you really need to take up the battle strongly and you never know that you might get a spanking new Jetta.

My friend sent his complaint to the MD of VW in India as he was receiving only automated responses from the VW Customer Care email. But guess what happened. He received a mail from VW Customer Care saying that they have received the written complaint as they handle customer complaints (fair enough) but the mail further declared that they have sent the "concern" to VW Capital who would call within 24 hrs and resolve the concern. Not surprisingly VW Capital did not bother to call. No resolution in sight. Apparently VW has no control over their Authorised Dealers who ill teat and cheat their loyal customers. No wonder Maruti is still the market leader in India and VW and other German brands struggle because of lousy after sales service.

...But guess what happened. He received a mail from VW Customer Care saying that they have received the written complaint as they handle customer complaints (fair enough) but the mail further declared that they have sent the "concern" to VW Capital who would call within 24 hrs and resolve the concern. Not surprisingly VW Capital did not bother to call. No resolution in sight..

It's time that your friend engages a lawyer & send these guys a legal notice. Unless their back is on heat, they'd not act. Plus, these are tricks to de-moralise the customer by making them think the VW guys don't care. I don't think VW is going to yield easily and please ask your friend to be ready for a long case; you know how our system works.

Please check if the case can also make the VW heads of India a party; things will move really fast when these firangs are usually dragged into the case.

Are they offering a 4 Lakh discount on top of what the insurance company would pay out?
What was the IDV of the car?

My friend informa that his IDV is Rs.10.19 lacs only. Even if he gets the full idv from the insurer to expext him to shell out the balance for these cars is completely unfair. We are hoping VW and VW Capital come up with more equitable options and provide justice.

My friend informa that his IDV is Rs.10.19 lacs only. Even if he gets the full idv from the insurer to expext him to shell out the balance for these cars is completely unfair. We are hoping VW and VW Capital come up with more equitable options and provide justice.

So they're working with an assumption of about 14 Lacs to be the actual value of your friend's loss. It's not that far off from the actual market value of the car, right?

Unfortunate as it may be, being able to recover your actual market value may be the best that you can do here. Please determine your market value, and ask them to come up with an option similar to what was offered for this Ecosport here. I'd imagine paying about 5 lakhs out of pocket for a brand new car is not going to be a bad deal. Push them for a

As a Jetta owner who gets his car serviced at a service station of Automark group (in Ahmedabad), I am frightened post reading the incident.

I saw Option1 of 3 LACS discount on 2015 model. You can send a friend of yours to the showroom of the dealership as a prospective buyer. He should negotiate hard for the same 2015 vehicle. See how much they are willing to give the discount to new buyer. I think it should range between 1.5 - 2 Lacs. Get the negotiation audio tapped if possible.

What I am trying to say here is dealership might not be paying a penny from its pocket with the first option. They might simply be offering you a new car without the profit .

As a Jetta owner who gets his car serviced at a service station of Automark group (in Ahmedabad), I am frightened post reading the incident.

I saw Option1 of 3 LACS discount on 2015 model. You can send a friend of yours to the showroom of the dealership as a prospective buyer. He should negotiate hard for the same 2015 vehicle. See how much they are willing to give the discount to new buyer. I think it should range between 1.5 - 2 Lacs. Get the negotiation audio tapped if possible.

What I am trying to say here is dealership might not be paying a penny from its pocket with the first option. They might simply be offering you a new car without the profit .

I agree they are actually trying to palm off their cars claiming they are offering a dicount of Rs.4 lacs based on their book value. This so called discount is a con and they are pulling a fast one on my friend.

Keep all email logs and reports with you. For sure, they would have plonked that lousy 4 lac discount expecting to stretch it by few lacs. Perhaps your friend can reach a better than 4 lac discount which while not a perfect resolution, can be something(coupled with the IDV).

Less than 2 years back, I got a refund for 'just out of warranty' (but a recurring common problem during ownership) for a 1.86 lac Samsung TV after I sent a rather desperate sounding email to the CEO desk. The email also contained a video of the problem that I uploaded on YT. I had asked for a free or 70-30 sharing of the 80k service cost. but they chose to refund and get it done with. I own a marketing and reputation management firm btw which I made clear.

Samsung India have to be appreciated for the swift generous resolution(after it reached the CEO desk). Kudos to the management team there. They know whats worth it and whats not. But ofcourse, in your case, it is not Samsung - this is VW we are talking about. A lil bit of concern and pressure from the company would get the dealer do better.